Speaker Q&A: Pelochita Peliz (Sofar Sounds/The Voodoo Rooms)
Pelochita currently works in a number of roles within the music industry - she is the Events Manager at the Voodoo Rooms and runs Sofar Sounds, in addition to creating Serendipity. We caught up with her ahead of OTR Edinburgh to find out how she manages working in multiple roles...
How did you get your start in the industry?
I’ve always had a clear passion about music, and I knew I had to work in the industry after starting to get into the Edinburgh music community. In fact, it was volunteering at Wide Days that made me realise I wanted to play an active role within the industry. Moreover, discovering the Sofar experience and not finding a full time job after my masters helped me take the leap from dreaming to doing.
You have a number of roles in music, one as a venue manager and the other working for Sofar Sounds, what are your main responsibilities in these jobs?
At Voodoo, my responsibilities are to make sure every event, including all the gigs, will run smoothly by providing our staff with all the information they need about them as result of liaising with the events organisers.
At Sofar, my main roles entail establishing the gig dates, pre-selecting, booking and liaising with bands, liaising with the rest of the team, arranging meetings and distributing tasks plus supervising the smooth running of the event on the day.
At Serendipity, as founder and organiser of the event, I run all those tasks I do at Sofar plus others such as branding, design, budgeting, developing marketing plans, and everything else that is needed in order to run the event.
What advice would you give those looking to work in the industry?
I’d say, believe in yourself; work hard no matter how difficult. Stop dreaming, start doing it. Do not be afraid of failure, as it is just another step on the road to success. Nobody starts knowing what they are doing, at least not myself. Do not be shy to seek advice and inspiration from other people and go for it.
Off The Record takes place at South Bridge Resource and Education Centre, Edinburgh on Saturday 9th of December for 14-25 year olds.